Perils of dining at your desk - Business Works
BW brief

Perils of dining at your desk

by Kelly Feehan, Servies Director, CABA W've all done it - attempted to eat that sandwich whilst tapping out an e-mail, at the same time as reading a report that's been on your desk for two days, says Kelly Feehan, Servies Directora at CABA. You finish your sandwich thinking thgat you're a role model for multitasking. In reality, half of the sandwich is on your keyboard and neither the report is read, nor the e-mail sent.

Sometimes, when we are under pressure to fulfil a task and meet a deadline, eating lunch at your desk seems like a productive way to kill two birds with one stone. In reality, however, powering through can be counter-productive. Taking a break from your desk, and particularly a computer screen, is essential to wellbeing. Just half an hour allows your brain to process the information you have handled that morning and enables you to switch off before going back to work that afternoon. Leaving the office for a lunch break is a great way to recharge and the exercise releases feel-good endorphins, enabling us to be more productive afterwards and reducing the chance of stress and burnout. Also, a recent American study of 5000 employees, found that those who ate regularly at their desks were more likely to be obese. So, as a nation, why do we love to dine 'al desko'?

Research carried out by our wellbeing experts, suggests office workers fear judgement from their peers and senior management. So, it's essential that managers set a precedent for their employees, creating a workplace culture where staff feel comfortable to leave their desk for lunch.

We offer you some tips on how to combat employees regularly missing out on a lunch break and how to promote the importance of stepping away from the screen.

  1. Lead by example
    If your employees see you working through lunch, they may feel like this is expected of them too. Make a point of letting your team know it's okay and expected that they take a lunch break.

  2. Encourage team lunches
    A great opportunity for your team to get to know each other away from the desk and work chatter. Suggest a team lunch every week or, in the summer, make the most of the warmer weather and take a picnic outside.

  3. Create a designated dining and downtime area
    We're not suggesting you create a canteen, but just an area that invites colleagues to take a break. This could include a picnic bench, or table and chairs, soft lighting, comfy chairs and things that provide distractions from phones and screens such as magazines and newspapers. Encourage your employees to relax away from the glaring screen of a monitor or laptop.

  4. Lunch and learns
    It's still work but combining lunch with learning a new skill as a team could be a way to encourage food-free desks every week or month. These can easily be run and hosted by your team with no need to bring in external trainers. By utilising staff to run these sessions you're also giving team members the chance to upskill and practise their presentation skills too. Just make sure the topic is fairly light, so staff don't feel drained after. Aim for a short and engaging 30-minute session.

  5. Food-free desks
    If you've tried all the above and are still struggling to notice a shift in culture, then banning food being eaten at desks is an option, albeit an extreme one. You could still allow 'light' snacks, but ask everyone to respect your policy and take lunch elsewhere. It's probably better for our health considering the average desk contains 400 times more germs than a toilet seat anyway!

It is concerning that 19% of mid-level staff are most likely to eat at their desk because of peer pressure. Managers and employers have a joint responsibility to ensure regular breaks are taken throughout the day. However, employees can often feel embarrassed to leave their desks, as they do not want to appear to be slacking in front of their peers and senior management. It's essential that Managers set a precedent for their employees, creating a workplace culture where staff feel comfortable to leave their desk for lunch.

Also, it's not just dining at our desks that can stall our productivity, a meetings-driven culture could also be a culprit!

To find out more, visit: the CABA web site

Tweet article
BW on TwitterBW RSS feed